


The Nature of Sparks

by littlesparklight (sparklight)



Category: Transformers (Dreamwave Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alien Biology, Archived From Tumblr, Archived From littlesparklight Blog, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Meta, Meta Essay, Nonfiction, Sparks (Transformers)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 08:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16991700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklight/pseuds/littlesparklight
Summary: Old meta from Tumblr about the nature of sparks in Transformers (taking some soft origin in G1/Dreamwave), and how sparks affect cybertronians "sex and gender", reproduction, the split between Decepticons and Autobots, and similar things.





	1. The Basics

A spark (and, ultimately, a cybertronian's frame) is made of rarified energon, a form of energon so pure it's nearly in another state/plane of reality entirely - that of the spiritual/metaphysical, which is what Primus is and is made of (spirit, with rarified energon, and, beyond that, energon, being the closest "mundane" form of energy his spiritual form is tied to).

Sparks are usually spread out through the frame, hence the different sizes of frames as differently-charged sparks can support different sizes of frames (even in universes they aren't dispersed, different charge of the sparks mean different-size frames). Sparks have individual and unique arrangement of their energies, no matter the charge involved. The energies are slightly different depending on if it's core energy or "body" energy, though both share some curious elements with energon - which hasn't been discovered until recently (or at all), since the comparison needs _highly_ purified (beyond consumption-grade) energon.

Cyberstatic energy makes up the most of the spark, and the cyberstatic energy relies on a few factors to create charge type (that is, urbane or defense); the vibration of/kinetic energy produced by the (amount of) rarified energon the spark is made up of, the tension between any given energon particle and another, plus the position and tension between the spiritual energy parts of the energon and its mundane forms in the sparks. This creates the charge of the spark, with the kinetic energy and the tension factors being known to cybertronian science while the last is not (due to the pureness and that rarified energon is unknown and also that sparks *are* energon in a way).

The amount of rarified energon the spark is made up of decides it's size; enduring, tenacious (“femme”), restrained (minibots/minicons) or, if it's flexible, the variable type – which is a special sub-type, if dominant such, and is found within/underneath the other major ones.

The most important set of information is kept in/is the spark's core, where the basic and individual energy signature of a cybertronian encodes for personality, charge, spark type, memories. This information is similar to ones and zeroes when transported by optic fibre cables and makes up the "genetic" structure of every individual cybertronian on an energy level, holding both "species-wide" and "individual, unique" information.

-In the case of clones, certain information has already been programmed into the protoform, such as altmode and rootmode, which is then copied by the spark energy as it enters the cloned protoform, since this is mutable.

(In Sunstorm's case, who's cloned from a specific individual, it's the personality part that's been suppressed/made weak/non-existent, since it was probably manipulated that way by Shockwave.)

-sparks, on a particle level, are made up of positrons. They're all blue, but there can be some colour variations within that spectrum.

-embers (being the negative polarity counterpart of the spark), on a particle level, are made up of electrons. They're all red, but there can be some colour variations within that spectrum.

Sparks are made up of a few layers:

**The core** ; here's where the "genetic" information is kept, that which makes a cybertronian cybertronian and that individual cybertronian themselves. This genetic information can be most easily and comprehensively portrayed by the unique energy signature and frequency the spark manifests, pulsing outwards from the core. This is immutable, and reprogramming of an individual's personality on a processor level will fail as soon as the spark energy can correctly connect to that/those part(s) of the processor, as in such a case of outwards tampering, the spark information works as "backup"; in natural changes, the spark and processor (personality component(s)) work in tandem for the evolution and preserving of an individual's personality.

(However, shell programs that have been in place for a long while can have parts or their whole integrated, but this can lead to issues where the previous and later information clashes.)

**The conductive shield** ; the next layer, which protects the core and at the same time is what resonates most strongly with the general unique frequency and energy signature of the individual, conveying it out into the rest of the spark and from there to the chassis.

It is on this level a spark-bond is created, permanently attaching a sliver of the bonded's energy and frequency into the conductive shield. This creates a sort of two-toned pitch if one knows what they're looking for; the stronger (major/prime) frequency of the individual's spark, and, like an underlying echo, the frequency of the bonded's (secondary/minor).

**The convective zone** ; the main body of the spark, that which carries the overall charge (the cyberstatic charge, and thus decides the size of the individual). The energy here moves in circular pulses from the conductive shield to the corona, constantly conveying the energy, information and signature collected further in. The cycling of these pulses are individual, but not necessarily constant or immutable as it can be changed wilfully or by outside influence, which would affect the individual (mainly moving slower and a feeling of disconnection). The spark pulse simply put.

A third way to change the pulse-cycle is that of synchronisation, which is what happens when two (or more, though more makes it go slower usually) cybertronians attempt to match their spark pulses together. This is the necessary first step to creating a spark-bond by making the sparks "familiar" to each other so that the exchange in the conductive shield can happen.

**The corona** ; the outermost layer of the spark. This holds weak, excess energy (cyberstatic energy) from the convective zone which doesn't "collapse" back downwards when a pulse cycle is complete and creates a protective layer that can feel "staticy" to the touch because of the levels of energy which, while weak, stays there and simply "collects" throughout a cybertronian's life. It makes for a good "warning" system, both for the individual and whatever's attempting to breach the spark. There's periodic discharges called spark flares when the corona reaches a particular limit; this is harmless but can make the individual feel restless and "itchy", or more irritable than usual – there's any number of “recommended” ways of getting rid of the energy from the spark flare discharges.

In the case of sparks that are dispersed throughout the frame, each strand has the same basic set-up as the whole spark, and the spark pulse is the time it takes the dispersed spark "threads" to cycle from the spark chamber out through the frame and back. (Which does mean a strand travels through the frame extremely quickly by comparison of distance travelled to when a spark is in the spark chamber and the pulse is between core and corona - the difference being it takes less energy/less strain for the latter, which is why the spark retreats when the frame is injured.)

At particular instances, such as injury, near-death, or manually/willingly withdrawn sparks for spark-interface or medical necessity, the sparks withdraw to the heavily shielded spark-chamber as a last ditch effort to not disperse (or simply be in one place for whatever reason), which lightens the "load" on the rest of the frame and the strain on the spark itself. Willingly/manually opening the spark chamber causes the spark automatically to withdraw to it as it is unlocked. Spark chambers are fitted with internal dampeners which, when activated, can manually lock up and dampen spark energy in the spark chamber. This does, of course, lead to a slow "going cold" in the limbs, but it takes a good while for it to happen, and might be a necessity in saving one's life.

-Full spark dispersal into extinguishing influences the colour-nanites (or chromanites) in the frame to "go cold"; this signifies full death of the cybertronian as their frame goes cold and turn grey.

-Spark pulses have a cycle with anything from around a microbreem (8.3 seconds, and less usually indicates a natural aberration which leads to death, or a spark severely under stress/about to extinguish from injuries on the frame as it cannot hold together under the stress) to a full klik.  
  
*If you're curious, "rarified energon" and that that is the base of cybertronian sparks/etc. comes from a Timelines/Club comic, and I liked the idea so that's why I'm using it.  
The idea of the general terminology/layout of the spark was inspired from someone else!  
And, of course, the mentions of the spark being dispersed throughout the chassis can be discounted for realities they're NOT - my basis is Dreamwave, where, meta-wise, sparks are established to be spread through the frame.


	2. Special Abilities and Afflictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains meta about the special abilities some cybertronians have (outliers, as they're called in IDW), some special variation of sparks, plus some spark "disorders".

**Special Abilities and Sparks**

Some individuals carry extra coding in their spark cores for special abilities (some as simple as extra laser scalpels, others such as glass gas or null ray effect). The energy and coding for these get directed to a particular part of cybertronian anatomy to further regulate it/affect the frame so that the spark ability can be manifested properly; the power chip rectifier. Usually, the effects on the individual's frame is at the most basic a subconscious "awareness" of the ability, and what's needed (if anything) to channel it. Usually these are some sort of weapons, but ultimately this isn't _needed_.

Abilities such as (for example) warping take advantage of native mapping and coordinate programming, the power chip rectifier enhancing and elaborating on the programming and sub-processors taking care of these functions and tying them to the warping ability (and vastly increasing them, and thus, unfortunately, the space they take up in the processors).

Those capable of warping have their personal frequency suspiciously close to transwarp frequency, but this is usually not known as actually being able to record this is usually not something the scientists are capable of yet due to the nature of transwarp.

**Spark Aberrations/Unique Sparks**

The most outstanding of these are _immortal sparks_ , where only one individual has been proven to possess it; Starscream. Normally upon severe trauma to the frame (especially the helm and breaching the processors, or to the spark chamber), the spark gets disturbed in its energies and start to loose coherency (dispersing), which, unless the injury can he repaired, ends with the spark extinguishing. When a frame is unable to hold a spark, the spark instead latches onto the subtle vibration/frequency of Cybertron itself, and is led to its core (called by a variety of things, among those the Allspark, the Well of All Sparks).

Immortal sparks, otherwise known as _rigid sparks_ , however, seem to possess a rigidity to their spark pulse and the arrangement of their energy signature that means that no matter the trauma inflicted to it, the spark energies simply never gets disturbed enough so that the frequency of Cybertron can latch onto it.

Rigid sparks, while lending the curiosity of being capable of surviving in a coherent state outside of a protective frame and spark chamber for an unknown but possibly indefinite amount of time, could be seen as one extreme end of the spectrum that on the other end of it leads to some new spark energy unable to coalesce into a frame and extinguishes before it settles properly. Rigid sparks can also not change their spark pulse or have it changed by outside forces, though it *is* possible to remove a piece of the spark without seemingly disturbing the integrity of the original spark and have the smaller piece simply replicate the set-up of the original, on its own.

-Either a unique facet of Starscream's immortal spark or something all enduring sparks possess, by entering another's frame, the spark forces the native spark into submission/dormancy, probably due to the fact that it is a lot more stable than even normal sparks are (which, as long as they're contained in a spark chamber, are rather durable).

Most other spark aberrations are simply sparks with genetic uniqueness that might never be obvious but are nonetheless there, but there is at least two other outstanding variations;

_Mitotic sparks_ are capable of temporarily but continually splitting off from the main spark and reside in other components that the main frame uses/can use in various ways. Periodic reintegration, however brief, is necessary to maintain spark stability (an example being that of Optimus Prime).

Self-splitting sparks are capable of *permanently* and without any harm to the original spark imitate newspark coalescing, with energy only from the parent spark. This ends with a functional and individual spark, but size is restricted and the resultant cybertronian has a constant need for hooking up to their creator's spark.

**Spark Afflictions**

There aren't many of these, as most would lead the spark to extinguish early on or simply fail to coalesce in the protoform.

**Uncontrolled Energy Expulsion** \- a condition which means the energy and cyberstatic charge the spark produces and is supplied with by extra energon is continually and at an exponential rate tossed out of the spark, too fast to normally replace it or for the spark to be stable. Most subjects with this condition die, but a small amount are stable long enough to figure out their "hunger" can be stilled by consuming sparks, draining these other sparks of _their_ energy until the sparks cannot keep their structure and extinguish, releasing what's left (in essence, the core of the spark). Energon is simply not enough to keep cybertronians with UEE stable and healthy, but the energy of sparks, already in the right form, can easily replace what is continually lost.

The changes to a cybertronian's frame (and possibly mind) to make them efficient hunters to still a hunger that never can completely be sated given the condition itself are usually gradual, though some "sparkeaters" are created outside the normal controlled protoforming and come with all "tools" present and also a very "bare essentials only" frame.

**Rotary-frame Affect -** This might not be a pure spark affliction, but shall be counted here for the sake of ease. Medical science hasn't been able to figure out what anomaly or glitch in rotary-model programming or the spark (perhaps it's a resonating effect between both) results in rotaries' peculiar eccentricity. It seems to not matter whether the rotary altmode is adopted naturally by the spark influencing the protoform, or manually from outside control, cloning or not. While the eccentricity is usually expressed as erratic violence of various sorts, this isn't always the case.

**Combat Override** \- Sometimes colloquially known as "protoform bloodthirstiness" and other even less complimentary names, the combat override means the spark - regardless of being Defence or Urbane class - comes with natural and automatic combat abilities (“automatic download”, especially if someone close is capable in a particular weapon or fighting style), the tendency to extremely easily pick up new methods of fighting and being very good at them, and with a certain unrelenting quality to the fighting as well. Basically it's a form of berserker mode, though the level and intensity of it, and the control over it that the individual has, can vary.

This is shown by the colour pink (energon, fuel, "blood") appearing in some quantity on the protoform/adult frame, and never appears otherwise, unless manually applied by paint to emulate the look of someone afflicted with combat override protocols.


	3. Spark Bonds and Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd say something about "sex and death" here to try and be funny, but that's basically what it boils down to since this part deals with spark bonds and thus spark interface, some variations of that, and how sparks behave when a cybertronian is dying, and after death.

**Spark Bonding and Sparks**

Spark bonding leads to the sparkmerging individuals not just getting deeper than is otherwise possible, but also a low-level awareness of their bonded outside merging. There's myths about full telepathic communication but this hasn't been proved (it might exist, however). At the most more or less extreme end emotions (depending on how long the bond has been in place, or if the bonded are particularly strong sparks or well-matched individuals) has been proven to be able to be picked up, _nearly_ no matter what distance.

The evidence of a spark bond in a bonded spark lies in the conductive shield, where a sliver of the bonded's energy and frequency is permanently attached after a full bonding sparkmerge. This doesn't leave a visible mark, but rather creates a sort of two-toned pitch to the individual's frequency if one knows what they're looking for. The stronger frequency of the individual's own spark, and, like an underlying echo, the frequency of the bonded's. A medical scanner set to conductive-shield depth and at least middling strength will pick this up.

The first step of spark bonding requires synchronisation, which is when two (or more, though more makes it go slower usually) cybertronians attempt to match their spark pulses together. This is the necessary first step to creating a spark-bond by making the sparks "familiar" to each other so that the exchange in the conductive shield can happen, as otherwise the spark energies of the individuals will brush against the conductive shield, but not be let _inside_.

Synchronisation can happen in several ways. One where both individuals' spark pulse adjust slightly towards a spark pulse which either didn't completely have before, another where the couple's synchronised spark pulses cycles through each individual’s spark pulse (a difficult but not impossible situation), and a third where one individual matches that of the other.

The latter is usually tied to some disparaging (or smug) attitudes about the "dominance" of the individual who got their spark pulse "catered to", but there is no evidence of the "dominant" spark pulse echoing a greater control or presence or taking of spark energy during sparkmerge.

The second step is a "complete bond-level sparkmerge", though what this means, or *how* synchronisation allows for first the conductive shields and then even the cores of each individual to merge with each other is unknown as research hasn't been conclusive. It has been proven that the bond is established when the sparks start to retreat, and the conductive shields separate - here, then, is where each spark parts with some of their energy and sets its bonded's conductive shield to faintly vibrate with their own frequency.

Spark bonds need not be a singular one to a spark, but most are incapable of forming full spark bonds with more than one current individual.

Upon the extinguishing of one half of the bonded pair, the frequency of the dead individual will disappear after a while. It is also possible to disrupt a bond by applying a frequency oscillator, but this is not recommended as it inflicts frequency-disturbing force upon the individual's spark, and even if the oscillator has been tuned to disturb the sub-tone in the conductive shield only, the oscillations might still disturb a spark enough to force it into dispersal.

The dispersing echo of the dead bonded's frequency from the spark of the survivor is usually experienced as more or less painful, and this is either on a metaphysical level, or, more probable, psychosomatic reaction to the loss of the resonant echo of the spark the bond frequency belongs to.

-Trine bonds are a sub-version of, but not a full spark bond (they are, however, presented as full spark bonds to the rest of Cybertron, a suggested quirk of Seeker genetic makeup) and are properly called trine synchronisation.

They developed as a way to give military Seeker Wings greater cohesiveness and the ability to fly together on a more attuned level. It has since then evolved into a cultural practice (spread to almost all aerials), especially if the Seekers are involved in the military/defense.

Trine synch use the energy of the corona and cables as its basic foundation, all three Seekers plugging into each other with cables to transfer this excess energy and let it both suffuse their circuitry as well as mingle with the energy of their own coronas.

As such, it's a blend of cable play and a very shallow type of spark merging, creating a somewhat peculiar ability of the three thus "bonded", to, without having to use their EM fields or other sensory equipment, feel where the other two are within a given radius. This needs to be repeated periodically, but it probably acts as a version of synchronisation without really infringing of the individuals' sparks in any way while still conferring some of the benefits. Long-standing trinebonds have even been known to require less and less _actual_ trine-interfacing as some small amount of charge and particles from the trine members remain in their respective coronas.

**Spark Dive**

A manner of connecting sparks and the minds attached to them in a way similar but still different from spark merge, as it allows for the viewing of the participants' minds within mental structures (usually figured as buildings or surroundings somehow important or representative of the individual). Sparkmerge allowing for more instinctual and less elaborate contact (simple communication and emotional sharing) if it's an established bond or the individuals are strong, spark diving is more elaborate if similarly intimate.

It does require external help from connecting the frames and then the sparks, facilitating contact, but those with established bonds and/or a long history of spark merging have been known to be capable of initiating spark diving _while_ spark merging.

Experienced practitioners of such martial arts disciplines such as Circuit-Su can supposedly go into spark dive on themselves, both on the mental level and on a more "physical" level, capable of seeing and interacting with their spark on a very immediate level. This, however, if it's true, would definitely have the potential to be extremely dangerous.

**Sparks and Death**

Normally when a spark disperses it does so literally, with tiny bits and pieces of the mech (personality, fragments of memories) still clinging to energy that gets used in new sparks, which means some people can meet and go "... huh" when they meet someone they know they've never seen before, and maybe they'll instantly dislike each other and don't know why, or just feel like "WOW I FEEL LIKE I'VE KNOWN YOU FOREVER" because they both have traces of spark energy from OTHER people (but they aren't/weren't those people).

It might seem like a loss of the previous individuals, but cybertronians live long, and in the Well of All sparks/in the vastness of Primus' spark, he doesn't just remember every single cybertronian ever to have existed, but their data and energy signatures are still there and could be recreated.

Full reincarnation of previous individuals can and do happen, however.


	4. Urbane and Defense Sparks - or What About the Red and Blue Optics?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This deals in particular with continuities that have a canon genetic (such as that is) split between Autobots and Decepticons, or, rather, between civilian and military cybertronians, who, _mostly_ but not all, split up along Autobot/Decepticon lines when the war broke out. It's simply meta about what that civilian/military split means, and what it's for.

**Urbane** sparks omit certain lines of codes that results in a basic readiness to take to violence in a pressured situation, and instead replace it with a recalcitrance towards the same (via diplomacy or not), and focused more on “digging in” and preserving than “lashing out”. Additional coding and programming for ease of adaptation to the current surroundings and creativity to make tools from it or how to best use the raw materials to support yourself/a settlement occurs in stronger or weaker versions as well as inclinations towards trust and cooperation, even with those that might not be considered their own species (aliens). Most natural altmodes will always be non-militarised vehicles or implements. This doesn't mean urbane sparks cannot take military altmodes or be prone to violence, but as a general rule the basic nature (but not personality of the individual) lack the particular nature of defense sparks.

**Defense** sparks contain those very same lines of code urbane sparks omit, plus a natural ability to take to and use weapons (this doesn't mean they do not have an emotional damper, because they do, to account for individual differences). They are as much about defending what they currently see as home, as extending that “home” further. Additional coding and programming to deal with a combat situation, such as tactical programming and threat assessment, a somewhat differently prioritised self-repair that is capable of more drastic action in regards of shutting down pain receptors or even full limbs, part-of-limbs or internal workings, as long as it doesn't completely render the mech unable to move or survive, if it will enable them to fight longer and survive to be repaired. Also lack a certain acceptance of anything not considered “them” (as in cybertronian), to lessen the chance of infiltration or similar situations (especially in regards to minions of Unicron). Are perfectly capable of cooperation, however. Most natural altmodes will always be military-type vehicles and implements, but as with the urbane sparks this does not mean other types of altmodes aren't possible.

(By the Golden Age, knowledge of any and all spark-type differences had been repressed and pushed away, to make sure everyone appeared as similar as possible. The obvious differences that still appeared along urbane and defense lines were put forth as individual differences that should be only minimally catered to, which still led to a basic parting between more civilian occupations and what military-type occupations there were, but with reasonable ease of passing between each if one desired it so (take Starscream's scientific career, for example).)

- _Planning_ and the ability to see how to get from point A and point B through what you have available in yourself, the surroundings and other mechs is something all possess, as what matters is more a difference in point of view (military or civilian, as they prioritise different things), though individually the ability might differ.

(Starscream, for example, while able to make snap decisions and immediately change if the situation does to what might seem in that moment to better get him what he wants and where he wants to go, sometimes discards fully working plans for these snap decisions which might not turn out to work.  
Prowl, as another example, is very good at planning and using a wider web of cooperation of mechs he has access to to make things work – this ability has been enhanced with a more defense spark tactical programming and his natural proclivity has then taken said tactical abilities in as their own.)

- _Emotional dampers_ are something every single cybertronian possess, a “switch” device of coding that also has a physical component on the protoform level and is among the first things formed. This ensures any cybertronian is capable of not just taking up weapons and fight if necessary, but ameliorates the effects of active war, the decisions that has to be taken and the actions taken through those decisions. This to ensure they can effectively fight Unicron and its minions, since Unicron wouldn't always use armies of simple drones but also more independent minions.

Unfortunately, in a situation like a civil war, it's easy to imagine how the emotional dampers being switched on (while normal combat situation won't necessarily do it, an extremely prolonged such would probably glitch the emotional dampers into turning on) could contribute to keeping a war going for longer than it otherwise might have.


	5. Sparks and "Sex/gender"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not as straightforward as it might seem, but when is it ever? Meta to reason around having "male"- and "female"-looking cybertronians.

I always love to read and write various meta things, and this is my take on the nature of sparks and cybertronian "sex" and "gender". Going with a more G1 flavour than anything else.

Simply put, there are three vectors of "sex" and "gender" in cybertronian make-up, if those words can be applied. All three work in conjunction to make a whole, but none of them rely on the same things as biological sex does.

The first vector is that of the charge of the spark, and thus the size of it, in addition to their redundant systems. The two terms that would be used here are "enduring" ("mech" - despite this being a general appellation - for Earthlings) and "tenacious" ("femme" for Earthlings, as this is not a term used by cybertronians).

Then there's urbane and defense coding, which layer with enduring and tenacious sparks and are just as, and perhaps even slightly more defining than the first set (and could, in a way, be considered to make up cybertronian “sexes”). The first might set certain limitations and parameters on the size of the spark and what altmodes can be supported due to their size and differing strategies for survival of the chassis, but the second set brings with it some basic underlying (and thus nearly invisible) affects on attitudes and similar.

These are the general mating types found in all cybertronians, but there's some that exist in addition to these, further “specialising” the spark(s) in question. To exemplify, an enduring defense spark will be a military altmode grounder of average size, not an aerial, x-changer or minibot.

The first four general sets of mating types, then, are:

**Enduring** sparks' frames have redundant systems in the limbs/joints, which supply extra strength and protection to these areas making them capable of keeping moving for far longer than the damage they've been dealt might imply. They're also, on average, more heavily armoured and taller (than tenacious sparks). This, in conjunction with their higher charge, means they consume more energon.

**Tenacious** sparks' frames have redundant systems in connection to the spark chamber, which, in conjunction with their lower charge, means they consume less energon (than enduring sparks) and also makes them capable of surviving damage to their spark chambers on a greater scale than enduring sparks. They're also, on average, somewhat shorter (than enduring sparks), slimmer/less heavily armoured.

Both enduring and tenacious sparks have, in general, different aesthetics to them, which usually emphasises the location of their redundant systems, which gives tenacious sparks greater chestplating in conjunction with wider hips, and enduring sparks wider arms and legs and shoulders, and usually flatter chests. Note, however, that these are merely aesthetics, and not at all encoded in the way spark charge is; a tenacious spark's frame can look exactly like an enduring spark's and still be tenacious. The same goes for an enduring spark's frame that sports the aesthetics of a tenacious one. Where the reason for the differences might be forgotten, the aesthetics might be considered a vital part of said differences, but they aren't.

Each of the two major collections (enduring (“mech”) and tenacious (“femme”)) have a limited-span charge associated with them and manifests in each discrete mating type, which, if one knows about it, will help in distinguishing what is "different" between the two. (The redundant systems are manifestations in the protoform, so stripping a cybertronian down to the protoform won't get rid of these redundant systems, as the spark influences the protoform to build them when it settles into the protoform.) Species-wise, in energy-scarce times, tenacious sparks would start to appear in more numbers, since they can still (if there is a dramatic population-drop) repopulate the species, and when energy is abundant, the population of tenacious drop/peter off. There's always a base 5-10%/one in thirteen of “femmes”/tenacious sparks, at the least.

**Urbane** sparks omit certain lines of codes that results in a basic readiness to take to violence in a pressured situation, and instead replace it with a recalcitrance towards the same (via diplomacy or not), and focused more on “digging in” and preserving than “lashing out”. Most natural altmodes will always be non-militarised vehicles or implements. This doesn't mean urbane sparks cannot take military altmodes or be prone to violence, but as a general rule the basic nature (but not personality of the individual) lack the particular nature of defense sparks.

**Defense** sparks contain those very same lines of code urbane sparks omit, plus a natural ability to take to and use weapons (this doesn't mean they do not have an emotional damper, because they do, to account for individual differences). They are as much about defending what they currently see as home, as extending that “home” further.

The specialised mating types are:

**Restrained** (miniature) sparks have a different and smaller charge range, and the amount of rarified energon used is less, resulting in smaller sparks that require smaller frames for optimal functioning. Possibly a sort of fall-back as a restrained enduring (“mech”) spark will consume similar or less energon to an average tenacious (“femme”) spark. They sometimes portray a sort of “super-charging”, such as Brawn's strength which is very disproportionate to his frame, which the smaller sparks can more easily manifest than an average-sized one. This is what minicons connected to bulks do; a selective “supercharging” via their sparks of the average-size cybertronian they're attached to.

**Aerial** (lofty) sparks contain additional code for the extra processing of flight (but, in some cases, grounders can reformat into an aerial frame – this doesn't make them aerial sparks, however, and they'll never quite have the same natural ease when it comes to flying) and, for whatever reason their charge is on the higher end and seldom creates a lower-charge spark with tenacious-type redundant systems. It does happen however, and there is no evidence a tenacious spark is somehow inferior to enduring ones when they're aerial sparks.

**Variable** sparks are a type that, much like enduring/tenacious and urbane/defense, is found among the others, basically blending different types into a meshed “whole”. Technically it makes a spark capable of switching between types, most notably that of a “general” spark and a specialised one, like aerial (as that is the most usual variation). There's two variations to this; sparks that are indisputably variable, or naturally mutate into such at some point, or those sparks that can take such manipulation to be made into variables. (Shockwave have or might have hit up on either of those in his experimentation, Blitzwing, for example, was probably a natural mutation, while Astrotrain and Sandstorm were manipulated into variables.)

The second vector is that of model type (closest to “gender” if you will); while there can seem to be a very wide variation of them, they're parted into thirteen different ones, underneath which the rest match by association, and how easy it is for someone in a particular model type to take on the altmodes all counted within that model-type (which should be doable), whereas the ability to switch to a different model type completely (grounder to aerial, but with this reformat doesn't come an attendant change into the specific aerial mating type) is a lot more complicated and requires hard reformats, personality/spark flexibility and suitability for most. Plus it can be costly.

These thirteen model types could loosely be called "genders", and there is a pronoun associated with each, plus some stereotypical ideas of suitable functions/jobs, especially for those altmodes that have a clear function. Note, though, that due to the fact that it can be more or less possible to change (and change completely, depending on continuity/spark flexibility), this is a less 'set' or permanent bracket.

The third vector is that of energy consumption, which is informed by the size and charge of the spark - which also generally decides what model type is available to the spark. The thirteen pronouns used in conjunction with model type gets gathered into several groups depending on use of energy.

Actual pronoun would work in conjunction of spark charge and energy consumption, and is more reliable than merely the model type, but again, if someone is suitable and can do the reformat, they could change... or have that change forced upon them, with varying negative effects following.

-Grammatical gender is basically thirteen plus one, with the latter being a catch-all that's derived from the pronoun used when speaking about Primus (or Cybertron where Primus isn't known to exist/doesn't have a mythical presence), which can be used when speaking generally to a group, about someone you don't know the altmode-type of, etc. And in the cybertronian society, the pronoun usually used is that of the altmode, especially in modern society, as the partitions into spark “mating types” isn't well-known or completely forgotten, and the pronouns associated with these in ancient cybertronix/primal vernacular are no longer known (and they had specific uses compared to the altmode-pronouns anyway).


	6. Where Sparks Come From

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, here's my variation of where sparks come from, though the two first are completely canon for the continuity I use as my base (Dreamwave, so it's not really applicable to how things work in IDW for example) the third is spark carrying, however! This is the fun part, right? ;D

Sparks can be produced in several ways, the easiest (most cost-effective, requiring the least effort) and ancient method requires using the Matrix (thus the Prime would be present at any spark-ignition event). Usually, sparks from this source aren't called anything in particular, as it's the normal route of spark creation, but “Matrix-sparked” and “ignited sparks” can and are sometimes used.

Without the Matrix, there's still at least one additional way of making sparks – this method sometimes having the sparks being called “war forged”, as it was/is mostly used during war, or frequency-sparked, or, if one's being condescending and rude, “knock-offs”.  
The method is energy-consumptive and less efficient, as it involves mimicking the Matrix's frequency/energy-signature while adding a (huge) burst of energon, which will draw out/create spark energies from the energon (basically, meta-wise, turning the energon rarified and then into a higher energy state, creating the basis for spark energy) and let it coalesce in a protoform. This is why “knock-off” might be used, as it's energon and a close imitation of the Matrix's frequency that's used, not the Matrix itself.

This method also requires either a computer with pre-programmed directives as what alt-mode/size etc is wanted, or one or more cybertronians present to influence the creation of the "artificially" drawn spark-energies, as this method is a lot less intuitive and draws less concentrated spark-energy (from the Well of All Sparks). Despite the differences (and sometimes claims), there's no evidence that this method has any ill effects on the sparks made this way. At the most there might be some indications of lesser stability of these sparks in the long run, perhaps shortening their lifespans – but since any spark of this type has died due to war, not other causes, there's no proof of anything to that effect yet.

A third, little used and more or less completely forgotten method involves two or more cybertronians spark-interfacing over a period of time, or during an extended single moment, amassing enough extra energy/spark-charge during overloads that this "extra" spark-energy will coalesce into a spark (while drawing from the Well of All Sparks as well, though less so than other ways) attached to one of the interfacing cybertronians' spark for an initial time. In a way, this takes less outwards resources than the other two methods, but a protoform still needs to be created, so there's still that resource-hog. A spark created this way is both more and less protected than the other sparks, being carried in an environment uniquely made to contain spark energy, but also exposed to all that the carrier does.

Newspark coalescing take at least an orn (a month, as it's a cybertronian lunar day) but can take as much as several orns and up to years, depending on the carrier, their situation, and the surrounding circumstances. Probably the biggest reason as to this method's obscurity is that creation almost always needs to be intentional (that is, everybody involved need to know what they're doing and consciously think of the goal), and since it's basically unknown among the general populace, it means there won't be “accidents” popping up that might help reveal the method. At least not usually, as the amount of energy needed to simply “overload” the intentional part of creation would require more than two individuals, or two sparks which are very powerful/energetic.

Newsparks created through sparkmerging shares their carrier's spark pulse up until separation to be put in its own frame, probably to ensure that the newspark isn't seen as a "foreign object" to be destroyed. In fact, the beginning and gradual strengthening of the newspark's own spark pulse is the first signal that it's ready for separation and being put in a protoform, the second sign being that of the newspark attempting to spread out into its carrier's frame, like the spark should do – this can create a lot of stress and distress on and for the carrier, and may lead to some issues if the newspark isn't given a chassis soon enough but usually the problems are few.

Beyond this "pre-natal" carrier-newspark spark pulse synchronization however, carriers and their offspring share no particular bond.

 **Protoforms  
**However a spark is created, it needs to be put into a protoform before a full(ly functional) cybertronian can exist. A protoform consists of a spark-chamber, transformation cog and processor attached to a more or less skeletal/humanoid mass of circuits, wiring and nanite laden "soft" metal, which usually is nurtured in a nutritional tank filled with metallic-based gel, infused with chemicals, atom-structure raw materials and other necessities to allow the protoform to "grow".

The minimum time necessary for a protoform to be ready varies, but the end of it is marked by the first transformation ("ignition readiness", though it's more of an unlocking than transforming) with the protoform going from a curled up form into a stretched out humanoid one.

When the protoform is mature enough, they're usually removed and with the help of the Matrix, infused with a newly ignited spark.  
In the case of mimicking the Matrix' energy, the protoform isn't removed from its tank, and instead the spark-chamber is connected to the computer and energon reserve that will spark the ignition.  
And as for sparks carried by other cybertronians, the protoform is removed and the carrier opens their spark chamber, holding the protoform up to allow the carried spark to transfer to its own spark-chamber when both it and protoform are "mature" enough.

 

 

 

1 - the protoform's braincase has merely faint vestigial evidence of an actual helm with almost direct access to the circuits and processors underneath, which makes manual upgrades easy.

2 and 3 - Evidence of altmode specific parts are also vesitigial and non-functional, as they spread out and connect into the real wheels/hover mechanisms or thrusters. (This one in particular will either be a wheeled motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle with the proto-wheels splitting from two to four at the upgrade.) As such, a protoform cannot transform and doesn't have an altmode yet.

4- Intake valve. All protoforms come *standard* with a thin mask covering the intake valve, and it's strongly discouraged to ask protohatchers to change programming to give them a fully featured faceplate, as the protoform intake becomes the valve at the *back* of the fully upgraded mech's mouth. Changing things around to a full mouth adds more trouble than it's worth and can lead to complications.

Protoforms are usually around two thirds (sometimes a little more, extremely seldom a little less) the height of their natural fully upgraded chassis, soft and fragile since all parts are right "out there". They may not look extremely "cute" but the urge to be protective doesn't come from any features interpreted as cute/young, but rather that a protoform screams "vulnerable". Further, protoform metal can have different colours, the most usual being silver/grey, after that colours such as white, red or black are rather usual, but really, any colour is possible. The protoform colour is evidenced in the faceplate of a fully upgraded mech, as faceplate metal is protoform-level metal (so, for example, Tracks would have red protoform metal, and Starscream black).

When deemed ready (a time which can vary from months to no time at all, as, for example, sparks created by imitating the Matrix are given a full frame in the protoform tank, and the same goes for clones), protoforms are Upgraded; that is, put in a full frame, the protoform performing a last burst of "growing" to stretch out into the whole frame and slot the extra parts (upgrades to the engine and processor most notably) into the existing ones.

 

[The next two additions come from other, posts than the above, but as they fit into the subject matter here, will simply be added below;]

-Eggs and protoforms are really dense, since the protoform sort of stretches out to fit the full upgrade armour, so there’s no real “growing” done - the size shown there is the only one, unless you have a minibot/cassette (smaller) or larger mechs (taller).-See-through optic glass, so the white light is shown.  
-No “proper” mouth - that valve will end up in the back of the mouth in the full upgrade.  
(Egg protoforming being something a small subsection of cybertronians can do, with no connection to whether they are enduring/tenacious or urbane/defence sparks.)

 

Some thoughts about protoforms and colour:

-I basically headcanon protoform can be any colour (which is usually only visible in the face), with silver being the most usual and after that comes white and black in various shades, then other colours. Red and shades of that is one of the more usual rare ones.

-freckles can appear either on the protoform or on the armour. In the case of the former, it's a (harmless) disruption of the protoform's colour, which means the secondary colour/s (armour colours) leach into the protoform, creating coloured freckles.  
For the latter, it basically would only work if you headcanon their colour schemes aren't created by paint, but rather nanites - if so, freckles on the armour means a disruption/deadening of small amount of chromanites, which leaves plain metal colour freckles scattered among the armour colours. (Compared to the protoform freckles, this would probably be seen as less attractive considering it leaves small parts of the armour gray - death colour.)

-twins' protoform exhibit more or less faint "striping", which comes from the fact that the unexpected splicing of a single spark into two causes the single protoform to go into an abrupt and hyper-development phase to split into two, which stresses the available protoform and stretches it out (basically leaving striping similar to stretch marks!). Obviously, this wouldn't be very visible at all except for faintly in the face, but it's still present.


	7. Headcanon Response: Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was the first of two responses to a Transformers headcanon ask meme, and is added here since it most fits, even if it's more closer to fiction than pure nonfiction about the artifical spark ignition method in Dreamwave that the factions found out about during Optimus' (and thus the Matrix') 1 million year absence from Cybertron (along with Megatron).

**Spark** : There’s two ways to create sparks, though the Autobots had, at first, no idea how the second method worked.   
  
That was the province of the Decepticons, who didn’t have access to the Matrix, and Megatron had driven Shockwave relentlessly until he’d solved their issue regarding their lack of access to the Matrix and new sparks. He didn’t care _how_ it was done, only that he got more sparks, and thus more warriors. Most of the lower echelons had no idea where these new Decepticons were coming from, but everybody knew Shockwave had something to do with it… and that was all one needed to know, wasn’t it? Starscream, as one of the ones in the know, took a certain amount of almost _gleeful_ (if still creeped out, though he’d never admit to it) delight in the fact that the Matrix, the holy bauble that it was, could be _spoofed_.   
  
It wasn’t something the Autobots looked too deeply into at first. Just enough to figure out where the new warriors were coming from (Shockwave, man).  
  
And then Optimus and Megatron disappeared in the prototype spacebridge explosion.  
  
At first, the panic was reserved solely for Optimus himself, but slowly, the more time passed by, the _situation_ became very, very clear. Optimus was important, yes. Nigh irreplaceable, definitely. But the Matrix was _singular_ , and without it… there were no new sparks.  
  
There had, of course, been a near uncountable number of philosophical debates on whether the energy in the Matrix created sparks wholesale, or if it “just” channeled the spark energies - either way, it was unquestionable that’s where they come from and how can anything replace _that_? The Decepticons had managed, somehow, and the Autobot spec ops set out to find out how the Decepticons had managed.  
  
After they found out, however, many would’ve wished they didn’t know.  
  
Using _energon_? Attuning it to a frequency as close to the Matrix’s as possible? How was _that_ supposed to create viable sparks!? Ratchet refused to have anything to do with the whole thing at first, as did most of the other scientists and medics as well. Was it a stable method, how could you guarantee the cyberstatic energy settled properly, how could an _imitated_ frequency make sure all the information that was contained in a spark would be there?  
  
In the end, they had to give in, and it was probably the necessity and desperation that kept any negativity regarding the first successful results suppressed long enough for the wonder of the very same success to set in.  
  
Not that there wasn’t wariness, not that there wasn’t concern, especially when it became obvious that using this… counterfeit method required a fully upgraded and viable protoform available instead of allowing the spark to form naturally with the protoform forming around it. No one who was privy to the way Ratchet was torn between hovering over the first few successes in concern to shortly after go hide away from them in disgust would’ve laughed.  
  
They all fought with the same thoughts; overwhelming concern for the success of these new lives, however… unnaturally they’d come about, and a certain standoffishness due to that very unnatural source. In the end it was Ratchet himself, clearly having thought about it, that pointed out it all still relied on the Matrix, whether it was present or not - its freqency.  
  
After that, they all tried to ignore the fact that this was a stop-gap measure; the method required energon, and a lot of it… and what of when energon started to run low enough that they’d need to ration it more?


	8. The Sparkchamber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meta post about how a sparkchamber is structured!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if the image needs to be uploaded elsewhere, unless I remember to update it myself if Tumblr ever shuts down.

[ ](http://littlesparklight.tumblr.com/post/92283338509/metaheadcanon-about-the-layout-of-the-spark#)

Meta/headcanon about the layout of the spark chamber. :D I’ve been wanting to do this for a while (I had a quick sketch done a while ago, but this is completely redone).

>_> The “electrum” bit is inspired by a comment from Jetfire in Dreamwave, where he says the material Sunstorm is covered with is “similar to electrum, which is a byproduct of cybertronian bio-mechanics”. So I chose to interpret “similar” as “supercharged as heck to protect him/make him more able to repair himself” and the regular “electrum” (named so because it has the same colour as the alloy) is a thin coating on the inner components of a cybertronian frame, providing some protection from wear as well as durability.


	9. Cybertronian family relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short meta thought about how cybertronians can be related to each other, nothing extensive or elaborate.

I had a thought about TF siblings that came after I'd reread Sunstreaker or Sideswipe's short blurb in the Ultimate Guide, where one was called the "protoform brother" of the other.

So my thought went that there's a few ways you can be "related"; split-spark twins, or protoform siblings. Split-spark twins are, by the nature of how they're created, also always protoform siblings, but protoform siblings aren't all split-spark twins.

What happens for the protoform siblings is that at some point, either prior to a spark being put in the frame or after, the protoform glitches in some way and splits (a second frame is the most usual, but protoform siblings can be more than two), creating a second frame derived from the protoform of the first.If the split happens after a spark's inside, it simply means a closer sense of familiarity between the two; lack of a spark still has some connection, but not quite the same as if a spark's present in the original protoform.


	10. Spark Evolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meta about the different "generations" of sparks throughout Cybertron's history and how the codelines contained in them have changed and been split up/added to etc.

So this is a little chart I did of cybertronian "trait development" (not quite evolution, since it's very deliberate and consciously done, mostly). Obviously it uses a setup of a civilian and military divide!  
I'm using "The Thirteenth" here, mostly as an open catch-all, and this could be the "original" Optimus Prime if you like that idea, or not (it doesn't really work with the fan or actual continuities I prefer, but I'm still leaving it open like this).  
  
Basic rundown goes that the first attempt at a second generation of cybertronians from the Thirteen only used spark code influence from Megatronus Prime and Alpha Trion, on the assumption that the "purest" on each end would produce stable sparks.  
That was, however, not what happened; the "zero" generation of cybertronians were all unstable, with poor or unreliable bonding of the spark to the chassis and questionable stability of the processors and retaining of information. That generation was discontinued, though some ended up surviving surprisingly long... (There was some arguments about whether to kill them or not, but in the end "letting them die out on their own" won out, even if some didn't, well. Die.)  
  
The proper first generation was created after some nudging input from Primus to widen the pool of spark code influence - and with the thought of creating a ready-made population to build a society, they parted up along the lines marked out by blue to pinkish purple, and pinkish purple to red. Obviously, this left Micronus Prime and the Thirteenth out of the immediate equation (the Thirteenth by choice, Micronus due to concerns over how his stored power might affect the sparks).  
These ended up stable, having everything the "zero" generation had lacked, and settled the division of the cybertronian species into two codelines, as it proved to work well for building up a society.  
  
There were concerns, however, over how the population, which, besides the differences in coding, were built the same and consumed the same amounts of energon (given differences in size), so the Thirteen set out to research if there was any way to introduce a variation that more greatly vary the basic frames used within each greater half of the population.  
The lead that proved to hold out in the end was a slight (almost negligible) fluctuation of charge in Solus' spark, and isolating it and strengthening it, into both a higher and lower base charge, gave a potential of parts of the population using less, respectively more, energon.  
This led to the creation of the second generation, which later was expanded by Micronus now feeling it was safe to add some of his own spark code influence directly - surely the sparks were now stable and strong enough. The result of that was the minibots (possessing a negligible amount of spark code influence, and thus not exhibiting the ability to join with others as Micronus could), and minicons (possessing a greater amount of said influence, which led to their ability to join with and boost the power of their taller brethren).  
  
Future (intentional or natural re-emergence of specific spark code influence) developments would lead to the first combiners since Nexus Prime, as well as those capable of taking more than one alternate mode (influence from Amalgamous Prime), or, in some rare cases, full shapeshifting.

**Author's Note:**

> As it's not clearly mentioned in the old version of this; embers as "negative polarity versions" of sparks are from the (canon) Shattered Glass, for those of you who might not have read any of the material from that continuity.


End file.
